Government shutdown in USA continues

Jan 22, Washington DC: Hundreds of thousands of federal workers wont be unable to report for work on Monday, as the US Senate struggles to end a government shutdown.

After a Sunday session of the Senate yielded no agreement between Democrats and Republicans, with immigration one of the main sticking points.Essential services will still run but famous sites such as the Statue of Liberty have already been affected.

Democrats refused to back a temporary deal until their concerns on immigration reform were dealt with.Efforts to reach a compromise ahead of the working week failed late on Sunday.

A vote to end the shutdown was postponed until midday today, meaning many federal government offices will not open.

Why the US government has shut down
Under Senate rules, the bill needs 60 votes in the 100-member chamber.

The Republicans currently have 51 senators, so they need some Democratic support to pass a budget.

Democrats want President Trump to negotiate over immigration as part of a budget deal, but Republicans say no agreement is possible while federal government services are closed.

Republicans want funding for border security - including a proposed border wall with Mexico - and immigration reforms, as well as increased military spending.

On Saturday, Mr Trump said the "nuclear option" of a simple majority vote was necessary to end the impasse.